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April showers bring May flowers! Also, bugs, weeds, and sunburns. I love being able to walk out to the garden and grab a handful of sugar snap peas, green beans, strawberries, and raspberries to snack on while I’m out there. That requires using safe measures to deter pests. Avoiding herbicides and pesticides means more manual weed pulling, mulching, and companion planting.

I start by eliminating standing water to reduce mosquitos. All those leftover plant pots and toys left outside can be a breeding ground for the parasite. Next, I sprinkle marigold seeds like confetti anywhere I have room. They’re a great flower to eliminate nematodes, and they complement my companion planting. Besides, why wouldn’t I want to fill in otherwise empty gaps with some cheery orange and yellow flowers? Adding basil and lavender not only smell amazing, but they also deter some pests as well! Thyme and rosemary also have homes in my garden. So many herbs pull double duty in repelling pests and elevating your cooking.

Next is mulching. A heavy layer of mulch in my raised bed garden prevents me having to do any weeding. Another heavy layer under the blackberries helps there, too. Mulching helps suppress weeds and maintain moisture in the soil, which is critical for dry summer weeks unless you enjoy lugging a garden hose 100 feet or further every few days. There are no shortcuts in gardening or faith, but there are steps to make both more successful, and regular maintenance is a big one.

Most of the blooming flowers for the first weekend of May were iris, carnation, and peonies. Seeing my girls and the other girls in our church carrying flowers for the May Crowning of Mary was a beautiful experience. I separated my iris and daffodils this year, so they should bloom next year. I also planted new peonies that won’t have those heavy, fragrant blooms until next spring. Gardening takes work and planning but the reward of seeing flowers from our garden adorning our mother, Mary, will be even more special and something I hope our children will feel more deeply.

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I love the idea of companion planting in the spiritual life.

Companion planting is when you plant different crops or flowers in proximity to one another for a mutual benefit. Molly shared some of these companion plant relationships that take place in her garden.

To me, companion planting sounds a lot like accompaniment.

Who is planted near you? Who helps enrich the soil of your life? Who provides mutual support so that you both can grow?

In other words, who is your community? Who do you meet for coffee when you’re having a rough day? Who calls you on your birthday? Who invests their time and energy into a relationship with you? Who cares about your spiritual health? Who prays for you?

We need companions in the spiritual life. It’s how we are created – in the image of a God, Father, Son, and Spirit, who is relationship. We cannot thrive in a garden all by ourselves.

So, who is planted near you? And where are you called to be planted, to spread your roots and leaves in order to help others grow?

One of the best companions we can have is mother Mary. She is a model of receptivity, trust, and discipleship – her yes to being the Mother of God paves the way for our small, everyday yeses to God’s plan. In this month of May, ask Mary to draw closer to you and be your companion in the garden of your soul.